Operating signal for electric ranges



Nov. 10, 1953 H. R. KINSELLA OPERATING SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RANGES Filed Sept. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1953 H. R. KINSELLA 2,659,069

OPERATING SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RANGES Filed Sept. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS. 49 FIG .4. 49

FIGS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 OPERATING SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RANGES Howard B. .Kinsella, St.1Louis, Mo., assignor to Magic Chef, Inc., a corporation ofN'ewJersey Application September 12, 1951, Serial No.24'6,'297

5 Claims.

This invention relates to operating signals for electric ranges or stoves, and more particularly to signals of this class for indicating operation conditions of their heating elements.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of highly effective individual signals or flares for indicating when any one or more of the heating elements of a range are operating; the provision of apparatus of the class described which provides a signal without the possibility of misinterpretation of any written directions; and the provision of apparatus of this class which permits of easy disassembly and assembly for cleaning purposes. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

A disadvantage of former pilot lights for electric ranges has been that although they give a signal when some one knob 5| (see Figs. 3-10) is operated, there may be confusion as to which heating element it .relates to (assuming that the heating element is operating at a nonglowing heat). At least careful attention is required to be given to directions usually printed on the operating knobs, and the user must know what element is coordinated with a particular lamp, all of which may be forgotten, or in some cases not even known if the operator is strange to the equipment. This is not only an inconvenience, so far as is concerned getting the cooking utensils on the location under heat, but it may be dangerous because a person can be burned by touching a heater which is unknown to be hot because .not glowing.

Briefly, the invention consists of a pilot lamp preferably appropriately colored to suggest fire for each grid-like bank of heating elements on a range. Each lamp is located under the grid constituted by the bank and above the heat refiector under the bank, whereby the reflectivity of the reflector causes a fire-like glow or flare under the bank whenever the heating elements constituting it-are in heating condition. This occurs whether said heating elements are themselves glowing red (as upon full heat) or simply heating without themselves glowing (as upon low heat). Each of the operating switches which control the respective banks of heating elements has an operating pole for connecting the pilot light element so as to light it whenever'theswitch is set to any of its various heating positions, of which there are seven. The invention may or may not be used in connection with the prior .pilot lights employed on the range.

I have found that it is a great advantage to have a simulation of fire at the bank of heating elements which is to be signalized as being hot, rather than a mere signal on an operating panel of knobs, because in the former case it is unmistakable what heating element is hot, whereas in the latter case mistakes of coordination are often made. The present invention obtains the simulation in a very convenient and inexpensive manner.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. .l is a plan view of the cooking top of a range incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and,

Figs. 3-10 are a series of circuit diagrams illustrating a circuit arrangement and its operations for one bank of heating elements.

Similar reference characters indicate corre spondingparts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral 9 the cooking top of an electric range having four cooking locations ll, [3, l5 and I1. For the purpose of describing the invention, the equipment at each location may be considered to be the same, like reference characters indicating corresponding parts at each location. While the parts at locations [3 and I? are physically larger than those at locations H and 15, this is not significant so far as the invention is concerned. Therefore, a description will be given in reference to the parts at location i l and it will be understood that such description applies to the parts of the other locations l3, l5 and I1.

At each location is an l around which is seated a removable trim ring or bezel 5. The bezel has a lower inward flange is upon which rests an upper outward flange 2; of a removable circular drip pan and reflector On the flange 2'! rests a removable support, spider or trivet 25. The trivet 25 supports a grill consisting of heater elements A B of he t" used on ranges of this class and which are essentially circular about a vertical axis. These elements, after passing through an opening 29 in the margin of the reflector '23, are joined to a a junction element 21 to which connect flexible electric wires 3!, allowing the unit (A, B) to be angled up in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, after which the trivet 25. reflector 23 and bezel 5 may be removed. for cleaning.

Attached to the top 9 by means of screws 33 (located under the bezel 5) is an underslung bracket 35. This bracket ordinarily is not removed when the parts 5, and 23 are removed for cleaning. The bracket carries a socket 3'! for a pilot lamp 39 located within a central opening in the reflector 23. This opening is surrounded by an upwardly extending collar 4!. Adjacent to the collar 41 and in the reflector 23 is a drip opening 43.

At 45 is shown a transparent or at least trans lucent shield and light transmitter for the lamp 39, this shield being preferably colored red. For example, it may he made of red heat-resistant glass. It protects the lamp 39 against damaging heat from the heating element i i. It has a removable telescopic seating arrangement 4"! in and around the collar M. This shield may he removed from the reflector 23 for cleaning at the time that the latter is removed.

The location of the lamp 528 and shield at the center of the circular reflector causes an light flux from the lamp 3%] to be spread and reflected upward over a area through the grill-work formed by the heating elements and B. The effect is not so much that of the conventional red signal lamp, but that of a glowing flame. flare or hot surface, the heating elements A and B. It is v :le peripherally even when cooking utensils are on the heating elements.

It will be seen in. this connection that the ref ec tor 23 and the heating elements A. B are subst ntially circular and coaxial, that the signal light 39, 45 is located substantially on the axis. Although red is selected as the color for signaliaing at the heating elements, other colors suggesting warmth may be used such as oran e. yellow and the like.

The purpose of the reflector 2&3 not only to reflect heat upward from the heating elements and, according to the present invention to reflect light, but also to catch drippings and the like; and it is these that must be cleaned from l to time in order to maintain the reflect ty of .c reflector, which has a reflective surface for the purpose. These of pass around the lar 4i and normally run out of the opening lt, the soclret 3'2 and la! vp 3;! being thus protected from them, It will be understood that although the shield ill is shown as being colored red, this may be white and the lamp 39 colored, or .ioth of them may be colored.

An advantage of having the signal light be tween the reflector griddike heating elements is that the light flux from the lamp is spread throughout the area under the grid Where it may be clearly seen as a deflected flare from the bowl 23 by looking through the grid. Moreover, the light source (member "i5 is in a pro tected position yet its light is clearly visible by reflection.

Tie wiring for the system is as indicated in Figs. 3-10, in which numeral lll is the usual 110220 volt, 'hree wire, single-phase supply circuit. The resistance heating elements A 2 id 13 (of which E has the larger wattage) are wired into this circuit lil through gang-operated switches l, 2, 3, an ad litional switch i in the gang beingused for operating the lamp 333. Switches I and 2 are of the double-contact type and switches 3 and l of the single-contact type. The knob for actuating the gang of switches li is shown at El. There is one knob for each heater element bank, and also one lamp Figs. 3-10 represent an arrangement for one bank, the arrangements for the other banks being the same.

Operation is as follows, referring to Figs. 340:

In Fig. 3, both heating elements A and F5 are off. Since switch :3 is open, the pilot lamp 239 is off. An additional pilot light 53, which may or may not be employed, is also off. The lamps 39 and are in parallel if the latter is used. This additional light is similar to the conventional one employed at the respective knob Eli. Knobs such as iii are arranged either at the front or back of the top 9.

Fig. t shows the first position of lrnoh in which the switch ii is closed and switches l, 2, 3 place 220 volts in parallel across both heating elements A and B. Tris is the high-heat condition.

Fig. 5 represents a second position of knob ill in which switch t remains closed and switches l, 2 and apply 2530 volts only to heating element B. The result is lower heating.

In Fig. 6 the third position of the knob is shown, in which switch l remains closed. and switches l, 2, it apply 220 volts only to heating element with resulting lower it The above exhausts 220-vclt operation.

Referring to Fig. 7, corresponding to a fourth position of lrnoh 5i, switch l remains closed and switches l. 2, 3 apply volts to heating oleinents A. and B in parallel, resulting in lower heat.

Fig. 8 illustrates a fifth position of knob Si in which switch remains closed *6 switches l, 3 apply 110 volts onl to heating element B, heating being reduced.

In Fig. 9 a fifth position. of the knot: is shown, wherein switch remains closed, switches l, 2, 3 applying 110 volts only to heating element A, again reducing heating.

In Fi 10 the seventh and final position of knob 51 is illustrated, in which switch l is still closed and switches I, 2. 3 apply 110 volts to the heating elements A and. B in series, whicl gives the lowest heat.

In view of the above, it will be seen that for any application of voltage to either or both heating elements A and switch l is closed and pilot light all is on; also pilot light if used. Thus each lamp 3.. gives the impre on at its respective location that the heating elements hot, wheth r or not these are on high heating and glow (i; g. 4) or on one of the lower heats (Figs. 5-10), upon some of which the elements may not actually i only appear to, due to the pilot lamp to.

In view of the above, it will. be seen that the several objects of the invention achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made i the above constructions without the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. A flaring signal means for an electrical heating element located at a top opening or an electric range, which element is essentially flat and circular about a vertical axis; comprising a coaxial circular upwardly concave bowl effective as a drip pan located below the opening and heating element and having an interior light reflective surface, a lamp, said bowl having a lower central opening for the reception of said lamp substantially on said axis, means for supporting the lamp relative to said opening in the bowl to form a central light source within the bowl, and a protective lamp cover over the lamp and protecting said lamp against heat from said heating element, said cover being adapted to allow light flux to escape laterally from the lamp to the bowl for deflection upward through the heating element in an essentially symmetrical flare.

2. Apparatus made according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means for the lamp is constituted by a bracket attached to opposite sides of said top opening, said bracket being underslung beneath the bowl.

3. Apparatus made according to claim 1, wherein said protective lamp cover is attached to the bowl adjacent the opening therein.

4. Apparatus made according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means for the lamp is constituted by a bracket attached to opposite sides of said top opening, said bracket being underslung beneath the bowl, and wherein said protective lamp cover is attached to the bowl adjacent the opening therein.

5. A construction for use in an opening in the top of an electric range, in which opening is located an electric heating element having a downwardly directed inlet portion for junction with a flexible lead-in wire; comprising a lamp located upon a vertical line passing through a mid portion of said opening, a concave gravity seated bowl having an opening in a mid portion thereof and accommodating the lamp in the bowl, the interior of said bowl being constituted by a surface adapted to deflect upward the light which spreads laterally in substantially all directions about said line from the lamp, a protective cover for said lamp allowing said light spread, a gravity seated removably mounted spider above the bowl, said heating element being gravity seated on the spider, said bowl having a marginal opening forming a removal passage for said downwardly directed portion of the heating element, whereby the heating element and spider may be lifted upward for removal from beneath them of said bowl and said cover.

HOWARD R. KINSELLA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,282,295 Schuyler Oct. 22, 1918 2,346,237 Rutenber Apr. 11, 1944 2,450,399 Sheidler Sept. 28, 1948 2,492,100 Kitson Dec. 20, 1949 

